Cargo container lifting and spacing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Cargo container loading apparatus in which the containers are carried on a pair of spreaders, each suspended from a separate platform mounted on a trolley. The spacing between the containers is adjustable, independently of the spreaders, by means of motor operated screws which move the platforms toward or away from each other on the trolley.

[451 June 20, 1972 United States Patent Martin et al.

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[73] Assignee:

[22] Filed:

Fruehaul Corporation, Detroit, Mich. Assistant Examiner-J. KennethSilverman July 15 1970 Att0rneyTownsend and Townsend Appl. No.:

[52] U.S. Cl........................'......294/8l SF, 212/14, 212/128,294/67 R .3661: 1/00 .212/125, 128, 14; 294/67 R, 294/67 A, 67 DA, 81 R,81 SF 1 [58] Field ofSearch.................

tainers is adjustable, independently of the Spreaders. by means of motoroperated screws which move the platforms toward or away from each otheron the trolley.

References Cited 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS10/1970 Zweifeletal...............

PATENTEDmzo I972 SHEET 10F 2 INVENTOR JOHN E' MARTIN v c. D. RAMSDENATTORNEYS CARGO CONTAINER LIFTING AND SPACING APPARATUS This inventionrelates to cargo container handling apparatus and, more particularly, toan improved apparatus for maintaining the separation between containersbeing loaded and unloaded.

This invention is related to the cargo container lifting and spacingapparatus described and claimed in a copending application entitledApparatus for Simultaneously Lifting and Spacing Cargo Containers,"filed Nov. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 682,462 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,351 issuedOct. 27, 2970 and assigned to the same assignee as the presentinvention. In the earlier filed application there was described andclaimed cargo container handling apparatus comprising a pair ofspreaders suspended from cables carried on pulleys on a trolley movedalong tracks mounted on a loading crane. In the earlier application thesuspension cables were inclined from the vertical inorder to create agravitational bias so that the normal tendency of loaded containerswould be to move toward each other. There was provided in this apparatusa pair of spacer bars for maintaining the separation between thespreaders and the containers engaged by the spreaders so that thecontainers could be more easily and quickly lowered into the cellsystems on container ships. The spacer bar mechanisms included mechanismfor releasing the bars when the containers were in place in the-cellsupport structure and it was necessary to clear the tie bars between thevertical cell support members.

The apparatus described and claimed in the earlier application wasrequired to have provision for automatic release of the solid spacingmember in either direction in order to preclude damage to the member orto the cell structures in the event that the remote controlled releasemechanism did not function in descent or in the event that the spacingmember was in place when the containers were to be lifted from the cellstructure. The present invention is designed to eliminate therequirement for remote controlled electrical or mechanical devicesnecessary to maintain the separation of the containers either uponloading or unloading. The present invention, which comprises means formoving a pair of separate platforms each suspending a separate containerholding spreader, permits completely independent movement of thespreaders in all loading and unloading operationsJThe present inventioneliminates completely the various mechanical and/or electrical-deviceswhich were required both to maintain the containers separated and toretract the spacer bars when the containers entered into the cellguides.

The apparatus of the present invention comprises substantially similarcomponents to those which have been previously described in thecopending application referred to previously and includes certain uniquefeatures which are the subject of the present application. The containerspreaders are suspended from the pair of platforms mounted on a trolley.The pulleys and sheaves from which the spreaders are suspended areuniformly spaced so that the cables, chains or ropes are substantiallyvertical. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention there ismounted on the trolley between the two platforms from which thespreaders are suspended, motorized screw jacks for moving the platformslaterally along the trolley to vary the spacing between the spreaderssuspended below. The spacing between the spreaders is varied solely bymeans of the powered screw jacks so that there is no device or apparatusbetween the containers to interfere with the entry of the containers andspreaders into the cell guide structures. The motorized screw jacksdescribed below are not the only kind of spacing apparatus which mightbe utilized for moving the platforms laterally along the trolley. Othermechanical, electrical, or hydraulic power means might be used, such ashydraulic cylinders, rack and pinion drives, chains, and sprockets orother related power mechanisms.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of cargocontainer handling apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2, is a front elevational view of two containers suspended fromapparatus of the present invention and showing the relationship of thevarious component parts; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the trolley and the platforms mounted thereon.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which the samereference numerals apply to identical parts in each of the severalviews, in FIG. 1 the lifting apparatus A supports a pair of spreaders Beach of which is supported by one of a pair of platforms C carried on atrolley D. Lifting apparatus A comprises paired motors 14 which drivepinions l5 meshing with gears connecting to the rotatable drums 16. Therespective pinions 15 are intercoupled by a clutch 17 which restrictsthe motors l4 and drums 16 to simultaneous and equal rotation to permitsimultaneous raising and lowering of the spreaders B by means of cablesR wound on the drums and connected to the spreaders.

Each spreader B is provided with four sheaves 18 through which the cableR is threaded. The cables include the vertical tension portions 20 whichpass through the sheaves l8 and thence through the trolley pulleys 22carried on platforms 23 mounted on the trolley assembly 24. The cablesare reeved around one end of the lift apparatus frame (not separatelyshown) by means of frame tie-downs 27, and at the opposite end areattached two drums 16. Trolley 24 rides on frame rails 28 which aresupported overhead by'the crane framework which forms no part ofthepresent invention and is therefore not shown. As is clear from thedrawing when drums 16 are rotated the spreaders B are moved vertically.the taking up or letting out of the cables 20. The horizontal positionof the spreaders is varied alongthe length of the rails 28 by moving thetrolley 24 along the rails.

The lifting apparatus A simultaneously raises and lowers the pairedspreaders B when clutch 17 intercouples the pinions 15. Suchsimultaneous vertical movement is usually desirable in order to lift orload pairs of containers in the minimum possible time. However, it ispossible to utilize either of the spreaders B independently of the othershould such operation be necessary or desirable. This independentoperation is achieved by disengaging clutch l7 and therefore uncouplingv the pinions l5. Thereafter one of the spreaders B is raised so that itwill not obstruct movement of the'other spreader. This is done by.controlling its separate driving motor 14 and locking the spreader inposition by utilizing the brake 19 attached to the motor. The remainingspreader may then be operated in the conventional manner as if it werethe sole spreader available for use.

The application thus far has described the operation of the lifting andmoving apparatus used to lower the spreaders B onto a stack of cargo orcargo containers 30. The spreaders are provided with gripping deviceswhich engage mating pans on the containers. Thus, when the motors 14 areactuated, drums l6 rotate and wind up the cables ,and raise thespreaders and the containers engaged by them. As might be expected,rotation of the drum 16 will raise of lower the v v spreaders and theirengaged containers depending upon the direction of rotation, andmovement of the trolley 24 along the rail 28 will change the horizontalposition of the spreaders and their loads.

The operation of the spreaders and their typical construction forms nopart of the present invention and will not be described in detail here.Reference is made to the specification of the previously mentionedcopending application for a detailed descriptionof the spreaders, theirconstruction and operation.

The spacing 46 between the containers is controlled by movement of theplatforms 23 toward and away from each other. The platforms 23 aremounted for fore and aft movement on the trolley frame 24. In theembodiment illustrated herein, the platforms are mounted on wheels 25which roll along tracks 26 which extend along the length of the frame ofthe trolley 24. Movement of the platforms in the fore and aft directionalong the tracks 26 is accomplished by means of screws 50 which arerotated by gear reduction units 52 powered by motors 54. The screws 50pass through a threaded sleeve 56 mounted on the frame 23 of theplatform. Thus when the motors are actuated the screws 50 will rotateand, depending upon the direction of rotation, will cause the platforms23 to move to and fro within the trolley frame. Movement of theplatforms along the trolley frame will change the spacing 46 between thecontainers 30 suspended from the platforms.

The operation of the apparatus of the present invention is simple andstraightforward. The trolley 24 is moved into position along the tracks28 so that the spreaders B are placed in position generally aligned withthe containers to be moved. The trolley 24 is moved so that thespreaders are aligned along the longitudinal axis of the trolley and themotors 54 actuated to move the platforms 23 and the spreaders suspendedtherefrom in a fore and aft direction in order to match the spacing 46between the containers. A single motor may be used in order to assuresimultaneous movement of the two platforms. lt is possible, utilizingthe present invention, to lift containers having a spacing 46 differentfrom the spacing configuration of the cell guides in the typicalcontainer ship and change the spacing to conform to that of the shipprior to lowering the containers into the ship cell guides. Becausethere is no connection whatsoever between the spreaders B the individualcontainers 30 may enter the cell guides without any fear of a matingdevice or a tie between the spreaders catching as the containers arelowered into the ship thus potentially damaging either the containers orthe cell guides or both.

Because the power unit for moving the platforms 23 along the trolley 24are mounted on the trolley structure itself there is no need forconnections: electrical, hydraulic or otherwise between the spreadersand the balance of the lifting mechanism. Thus, there are no mechanicalor electrical devices associated with the spreader units which mightfail during loading or unloading operations and cause damage to thecargo. to the ship or to the lifting apparatus and thus there is nothingto delay the speedy and efficient loading or unloading of the ship.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, itwill be obvious that other adaptations and modifications can be madewithout departing from the true spirit and scope of theinvention.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for simultaneous transport of a plurality of cargocontainers comprising first and second spreaders for engaging first andsecond containers, moving means for simultaneously moving said spreadersbetween a first location and a second location, first and secondmoveable platform means mounted on said moving means, said firstspreader suspended from said first platform means and said secondspreader suspended from said second platform means, and means for movingsaid platforms along said moving means toward and away from each otherto vary the spacing between said spreaders.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said moving means comprises anelongate trolley moveable along parallel tracks adjacent the ends of thetrolley, said first and second platform means mounted on said trolleyfor movement along the longitudinal axis of the trolley.

3. In a twin lift spreader system wherein a plurality of depending cargocontainers is transferred between 'a first disposition and a seconddisposition and the spacing between said cargo containers is changedduring said transfer, said system including a pair of spreaders eachhaving means for attachment to at least one of said depending cargocontainers; each of said spreaders depending from a plurality of linearsupports and supported in substantially the same horizontal plane; meansfor transporting said spreaders attached to the upper end of said linearsupports, said means for transporting movable between positionsoverlying said first and second dispositions and including means forsimultaneously raising and lowering said linear supports; theimprovement comprising: movable spacing means for changing the spatialrelationship of the point from which at least one of said linearsupports depends to support one spreader relative to the point fromwhich at least one of said linear supports depends to support said otherspreader, said spacing means mounted on said transporting means, andpower means mounted between said spacing means and said transportingmeans for moving said spacing means to vary spacing between said pointsfrom which said linear supports depend whereby the space between thespreader and said depending cargo containers can be varied.

1. Apparatus for simultaneous transport of a plurality of cargocontainers comprising first and second spreaders for engaging first andsecond containers, moving means for simultaneously moving said spreadersbetween a first location and a second locatiOn, first and secondmoveable platform means mounted on said moving means, said firstspreader suspended from said first platform means and said secondspreader suspended from said second platform means, and means for movingsaid platforms along said moving means toward and away from each otherto vary the spacing between said spreaders.
 2. Apparatus according toclaim 1 wherein said moving means comprises an elongate trolley moveablealong parallel tracks adjacent the ends of the trolley, said first andsecond platform means mounted on said trolley for movement along thelongitudinal axis of the trolley.
 3. In a twin lift spreader systemwherein a plurality of depending cargo containers is transferred betweena first disposition and a second disposition and the spacing betweensaid cargo containers is changed during said transfer, said systemincluding a pair of spreaders each having means for attachment to atleast one of said depending cargo containers; each of said spreadersdepending from a plurality of linear supports and supported insubstantially the same horizontal plane; means for transporting saidspreaders attached to the upper end of said linear supports, said meansfor transporting movable between positions overlying said first andsecond dispositions and including means for simultaneously raising andlowering said linear supports; the improvement comprising: movablespacing means for changing the spatial relationship of the point fromwhich at least one of said linear supports depends to support onespreader relative to the point from which at least one of said linearsupports depends to support said other spreader, said spacing meansmounted on said transporting means, and power means mounted between saidspacing means and said transporting means for moving said spacing meansto vary spacing between said points from which said linear supportsdepend whereby the space between the spreader and said depending cargocontainers can be varied.